It is time for the annual Blarney Books and Art Biblio Art Prize. When you enter the competition you get given a book title to interpret artistically. It is by an Australian author and recently published. I have entered quite a few times over the years. See links at the end of this post. I initially drew in the pages of my given book. Last year I drew on a separate loose sheet. This year I am back in my comfort zone of drawing in books. My book is The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen by Krissy Kneen.  

I read the book and thought about what attracted me to draw. I spent a few hours working this out in my head and on paper. The process included choosing which pages to draw on, the images to choose and how to place them on the page. I decided to work around the recipes the author discovers in the countries her grandmother spent time in her life, and not over them.

Ready to go, I took a photo of my first marks on the page. I then blocked out images

Then I wanted to see how the page will take the watercolour pencil and then the water. I started with the bay leaf. It looks like this is ok. It won’t take a lot of working on but I can do more than one layer. It is not watercolour paper, The quality/ texture of the paper will affect how I draw and what I can. Knowing this I can be realistic about what I can achieve.

I drew the bay leaf and the colour and added water with a very fine tiny brush. The water will intensify the colour to the area it is added, but does not spread the colour. I think that I will be able to add fine details, with a sharpened pencil. But I have to remember – not too sharp, as it can cut through the paper. I realise that I have reached the saturation point on the page for the bay leaf.

The colours are Chrome Green Oxide and Payne Grey from my daily kit and mainly Olive Green Yellowish. I choose from my BIG BOX of watercolour pencils as it is not a time to mix colours on the page. If there is an exact colour I will use it.

The page has to be completely dry before adding more colour – otherwise, the paper will tear. I have to be patient, There is no chance to do it again. In this case, it was the next day.

2021 2020 2019 2018 Links to my previous entries.

It is due in October. There is a second recipe to draw in the book. Then I post it to Blarney . 100 or so are chosen for the exhibition there that does through to December r January I think. I enter because I love the bookshop and the concept.